Electrical connectors are configured to electrically connect first and second electrical components so as to place the electrical components in electrical communication. For instance, electrical connectors can define a mounting interface that is configured to mount onto a substrate (e.g., printed circuit board), and a mating interface that is configured to mate with a complementary electrical component.
Referring to FIGS. 1A-B, one such conventional electrical connector 10 includes a connector housing 11 that defines a mating interface 12 and a mounting interface 13. The housing 11 supports a plurality of electrical contacts 14 that can include a plurality of signal contacts S and a plurality of ground contacts G that separate adjacent pairs of signal contacts, which can define differential signal pairs. The electrical contacts can define respective mounting portions 15 that are disposed at the mounting interface 13 and are configured to electrically connect to a substrate 38, such as a printed circuit board. The electrical contacts 14 further define mating portions 17 disposed at the mating interface 12 that are configured to electrically connect to a complementary electrical component, such as an electrical connector. The electrical connector can be configured as a right-angle electrical connector whereby the mating interface 12 is oriented substantially perpendicular to the mounting interface 13. Typically, the size and position of the right angle connector may limit the physical arrangement of circuit boards within the device. The connector 10 in accordance with certain embodiments can be constructed as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,815,444, U.S. Pat. No. 7,331,800, the disclosure of each of which is incorporated by reference as if set forth herein in its entirety.
The substrate 38 defines an upper surface 43 and an opposed lower surface 45 that is opposite the upper mounting surface 43, and an outer edge 47 that partially defines the outer perimeter of the substrate 38. The substrate 38 further defines an outer edge 19 that extends between the upper and lower mounting surfaces 43 and 45. The substrate 38 can define any transverse substrate thickness T between the opposed upper and lower surfaces 43 and 45 as desired, for instance between approximately 0.05 inches and approximately 0.15 inch, such as approximately 0.092 inches. As illustrated in FIG. 1B, the connector housing 11 overhangs the edge 47 of the substrate 38, such that the connector housing 11 extends down from the upper mounting surface 43 to a depth D1 that is greater than the transverse substrate thickness T of the substrate, and thus is greater than 0.92 inches. Thus, the connector housing 11 extends down to a location below the lower surface 45 of the substrate 38.
In electrical devices where physical space is limited, it may be desirable to limit the height of the right angle connector. For example, in backplane applications within a fixed chassis, a reduced connector height can reduce the distance between circuit boards and ultimately increase the volume within the chassis that is available for occupation by printed circuit boards, thereby increasing the quantity of circuit boards that can be installed within the chassis.